Work, Play and Carbon Sequestering

The 8th graders from Orchard Valley Waldorf School spent three days investigating environmental concepts and then put these principles to practical uses here at our home, Lifecycling. After morning Bothmer exercises outdoors we moved into our house for the conceptual part of the class where they gained the background needed for the physical work they were to take up. A greater enthusiasm to do work develops when there are reasons for the work to be done and the greater number of reasons, the greater the enthusiasm. The environmental concept that was front and center on the first day was the idea of throughput verses efficiency.

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Mostly everything we use was produced in a factory; however the factory didn’t just appear out of nowhere. There had to be another factory that produced the components that were used to build the first factory that had made the object. In the whole process of producing an object there was mining, shipping, etc. and at the end of this long list are all the various forms of pollution that now our culture has to mitigate adding an increasing amount of throughput. All of the students knew what efficiency was, but none had even heard of throughput, and this is also true of the general public. Real life stories and examples are very powerful in relating hard concepts such as throughput verses efficiency. Years ago I built a solar hot water heater using a basic principle of thermodynamics, that hot water rises (the science of why hot water rises was also explained). The solar panel was positioned on the ground and because of the principle of thermosiphon the hot water rose up to the hot water tank situated above the solar panel.​

The hot water solar panel is placed below the hot water tank

​ As I was gathering up the plumbing fittings at my local hardware store the clerk at the store offered his help. He listened to my plans and he then told me that he was in the process of installing hot water solar panels on his roof. He then continued to explain that his system, which was computerized, was regulated in such a way that it was much more efficient than a thermosiphon system. It was absolutely true that the same square footage of the efficient solar panel would produce more hot water per hour than the thermosiphon setup even after considering the small amount of electricity to run the pump needed to push the hot water down to the tank below. I went home and hooked up our thermosiphon system using a solar panel taken off a friend’s roof. About eight years later I happened to be in the store talking with the same store clerk and I asked him how his system was working. He told me he finally took it off his roof because the computer had failed and could no longer get the part needed to fix his system. In contrast, our system continued to make hot water year after year.​

This active system needs a pump and electricity increasing efficiency at the expense of throughput. When throughput is increased the chain of events results in an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

A few years ago another 8th grade class from Orchard Valley Waldorf School helped to build our hot water solar panel out of recycled copper tubing. There were no specialists, no high tech systems, just students learning about throughput and thermodynamics and in the end our household can take hot showers any sunny day beginning in the spring and ending in the fall.​

The hot water solar panel blends into the landscape

​ The students’ project this year was to build a small root cellar from leftover well tiles. One group of students hauled logs, wood debris, and wood chips. to cover the root cellar tiles. At the same time a second group of students started building steps and a wall leading down to the electrical solar panels where dirt had to be dug out and hauled away. When doing several connected tasks at one time students learn true efficiency while doing labor. The Bothmer exercises in the morning taught ways of moving which help in the physical work; digging or hauling objects build the student’s muscular frames instead of working out in an inside gym. The dirt that was dug for the wall and steps was needed for the root cellar site to cover the wood chips, so there was a connection between the two groups and there is little wasted effort.

Logs and wood debris are pulled out of the forest and placed onto the root cellar in such a way to be able to hold wood chips

Students spread wood chips over the wood debris and rake them smooth

Dirt will cover the wood chips and years to come will develop fertile soil where plants that are taking in atmospheric carbon dioxide can grow

​ The first day ended with a Frisbee game out in the field which first began by spreading wood chips where the students thought chips were needed. The class looked very skeptical that this was in fact a Frisbee field and one student even expressed his doubts, but once we started playing the skepticism faded away taken over by the wonder of Frisbee.

When we moved onto the land this is what the Frisbee field looked like

When earlier 8th grade students played on the field, it was very small and quite uneven. Running on uneven ground increases balance and running ability.

The next day, after a short review, we discussed exponential growth and how the doubling starts out so small and soon ends up so huge. We investigated what exponential growth looks like in a closed system such as the Earth and ended the academic piece with carbon sequestering and global warming. In other words, how is organic matter trapped into the soil and not allowed to escape into our atmosphere as carbon dioxide causing planetary warming?

Understanding the carbon cycle adds to the concept of carbon sequestration

Most of the students were aware of global warming.

It's amazing what the students know about the life processes.

When organic matter (carbon) is trapped within our soils they increase the ability to hold water. As more and more people sequester carbon there will be less flooding.

​ Then it was back to the physical work of hauling and strategically covering the root cellar followed by another round of wood chips and Frisbee. The many reasons for doing the work and even the play were mounting by the day.

The class spread wood chips before playing Frisbee

Let the game begin

They are really busy working the carbon into the soil layers beneath

Years from now this fertile field may be utilized to grow food

​ On the last day we tied everything together then headed out for the physical work. We worked under a roof using carpentry tools to make the doors for the root cellar. The atmosphere was not of drudgery but conversation and laughter helping the time to pass quickly. It was a rainy day and the field was very wet so we ended our time together with a word game.

Math skills are used when measuring in carpentry

Recycled insulation is cut for the doors.

My hope is that in a world with so many challenges, education can give a new perspective. In terms of exponential growth can we develop games that provide the vigorous exercise needed for our youth while at the same time sequestering carbon? Imagine all of the world’s students sequestering carbon through work and play, bringing about an inner understanding of humankind’s relationship to each other and with the Earth. That would be exponential growth in a positive direction.